A New Outlook
by The Rising Phoenix
Summary: What happens when someone from Cory's past comes back to surprise him? Find out inside! Please review!


_**(A/N: Hi everyone! I'm happy to say, I am here with a brand new one-shot! My muse is on a roll! :-) As always, I own nothing except the plot itself. Everything else belongs to Michael Jacobs, April Kelly, and ABC Studio/Productions/Disney. Reviews, favorites, and alerts are definitely welcome! Thanks again! ~The Rising Phoenix!) **_

A New Outlook -

Cory and Topanga were walking with their two children, Riley and Auggie in Central Park on a warm spring day.

However, lately Cory kept seeing this one woman around town. He couldn't place her for the life of him, but something drew him to her.

He saw her again today in the park. She had who was presumably her husband with her, and what looked to be fraternal twins with them.

As it was mid-afternoon, Cory had gotten up to get himself, Topanga and the kids some ice cream. He failed to see the woman who had been occupying some of his thoughts lately follow him.

After getting the ice cream, but before he could walk back to where his family was playing (some ways away and around a corner), he was grabbed, and dragged even further out of sight.

"Hey!" Cory exclaimed.

"Sorry. Look, I'm sure you've been seeing me around lately…And that's not necessarily an accident."

"Why are you following me?" Cory asked.

"Well…" The woman paused. "I didn't know how to talk to you…I-I just wanted to say thank you." Said the woman. She stood a few inches shorter than Cory, with dark hair, and natural red highlights. Her makeup was very minimal, and had a natural tone within its shade.

"For what?"

"For showing me that not all guys are the same…"

Cory blinked in confusion. "Um…Okay."

The woman laughed at Cory's expression.

"You have no idea who I am anymore do you?"

Cory's face turned a slight shade of pink with embarrassment. "Um, no…I'm sorry to say I don't…"

"Well, I see not much has changed, Fuzzy."

'_No…It's absurd! It couldn't be…_' Cory thought.

But upon hearing the name 'Fuzzy,' Cory's mind snapped into place, and he almost dropped all of the ice cream he had been holding.

"T.K.?!"

"The one and only. And it's Theresa now." Replied Theresa Kiner with a large smile.

"You know, you were the only person at school, next to my brother that I could call a true friend."

"Um, thanks. I'm glad I could be." Cory replied, his mind still working.

"Me too. You really helped me through a bad time, Cory. Thanks to you...well, you and Harley, I eventually found Logan," Theresa indicated toward the man with the young children. "Hope for a guy was very low on my radar. I realize now (and even to a point then) that I did try as hard as I did _because_ I wanted guys to stick around. Looking back now, I don't think I had to do that with you…That was brand new and scary too. I just kept thinking if I don't give you this or that, you'd walk out."

"And that was the last thing you needed." Cory agreed.

"Exactly. Once we got out of high school, I found an art school that I was really interested in. That's where I met Logan…It was rocky at times. I at first started to fall back into my old habits, but then remembered you. Luckily I didn't fall back too hard or fast. Logan reminds me of you. He's genuinely kind, says I don't have to try too hard either. Sometimes he still says that." Theresa explained with a wistful smile.

"I see Logan passed the Harley test." Cory said with a laugh.

"Yeah, yeah he did. And Harley's an absolute mush when it comes to Harley and Cora…"

"Cora?" Cory said, in shock. '_She wouldn't…I couldn't have had __that__ much of an impact_...'

"Yeah, I named my son after both Harley and Logan, and my daughter, Cora Rose after you…I know it's probably kind of weird, and I hope you don't mind…"

"No, no…It's…okay. Really. Sure, I'm shocked, but also humbled."

Cory paused. "You know…even after the things you had told me back then, I don't think I really understood it's effect on you, or how being genuinely nice to you (and in general); treating you like you deserved truly effected you."

"You gave me a new outlook Cory. It's a debt I don't think I can ever really repay."

"There's no need to Theresa. No need at all. You finding happiness, with Logan and your children is enough."

"I know Logan will never leave me the way so many had back in middle school." Theresa said, with a loving smile.

Cory observed the man, around his age with the twins. He was laughing and looked just as happy as Theresa was. "I know he won't either." Cory agreed. "Plus, Harley will hunt him down for the rest of his days if he does." Cory said after a beat, a wide grin to his face.

Theresa laughed.

"Theresa, would you like to meet my family?"

Theresa blinked, quickly remembering she and Cory were not 12 years old anymore, sitting at his kitchen table with his family.

"Married, with kids too?"

"Yep. Remember Topanga?"

"Vaguely…"

Theresa paused in thought. "I remember her around school before we started dating, but I never saw her. I ended up getting transferred to another room on the other side of the school – with some nerd named Minkus. Mr. Turner even got reassigned there for some reason after he wrecked his bike."

"Huh…So that's where you ended up…" Cory said quietly.

"Yeah, and I stayed there even when Harley got sent off to reform school. But I had Frankie and Joey look after me occasionally. So, back to you. You married Topanga huh?"

"Yes, and have two kids. A girl, Riley, and a son Auggie."

"I would love to meet them."

"So, what do you do now?" Asked Cory.

"I am an art teacher for Pre-k-2nd Graders."

"Really?! That's wonderful."

"Yeah, I knew I wanted to teach, but not which area until I started student teaching. I never realized how much I loved kids until you let their imaginations run wiled with paint."

Cory and Theresa laughed heartily, as they made their way to Cory's family…

_**(A/N: Please Review! ~The Rising Phoenix~)**_


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